Z6 IIvs A1 II
Sony
A1 II (2025)
Starting from £6500 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & high-resolution studio work
View A1 II
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
All-Round Full-Frame Photography — Z6 II (2020): The Z6 II is the Nikon most photographers should buy. It's balanced across every discipline — stills, video, autofocus, weather sealing — without overpaying for megapixels you don't need. The Z-mount glass is superb.
Professional Sports, Wildlife & High-Resolution Studio Work — A1 II (2025): The most complete camera ever made — 50MP, 30fps, 8K, and the world's best EVF in a single flagship body.
Who should buy what
Z6 II (2020)
- Nikon DSLR users ready to move to mirrorless
- Photographers who need a reliable all-rounder without specialising
- Video creators wanting 4K/60p in a weather-sealed body
- Enthusiasts who shoot everything from portraits to travel
A1 II (2025)
- Professional sports and wildlife photographers who need 30fps, 50MP, and the best AF available
- Commercial and advertising photographers who demand 50MP resolution alongside pro video specs
- Photojournalists who need a single body capable of handling every assignment
- Sony system shooters ready to invest in the absolute best
Quick take: The a1 ii has the highest resolution at 50mp; the z6 ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Z6 II (2020) | A1 II (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,699 | £6,500 |
| Sensor | 24.5MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.5MP | 50.1MP |
| Video | 4K/60p, 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/240p super slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Phase-detect, 273 points, Eye AF, subject tracking | AI subject recognition — human, animal, bird, insect, vehicle, aircraft, train |
| Stabilisation | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops (up to 6 stops with VR lenses) | 8.5-stop IBIS (with in-lens OSS) |
| Burst Rate | 14fps mechanical, 14fps electronic (12-bit RAW) | 30fps electronic (with full AF/AE), 10fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | ~410 shots (CIPA) | ~530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 705g (body, battery, card) | 743g body only |
| Dimensions | 134.0 × 100.5 × 69.5mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.80× magnification | EVF 0.9× 9.44M-dot — the highest resolution EVF available |
| Screen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.1M dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 2.1M dots |
| Mount | Nikon Z-mount | Sony E-mount (full-frame) |
| Memory Cards | Dual card: 1× CFexpress Type B / XQD + 1× SD UHS-II | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI full-size |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Z6 II | A1 II |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Travel | ||
| Video | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — |
More comparisons with Z6 II
Camera family history